Yup I'm behind

Ok... so I'm now officially 3 barn blocks behind... although since this is a weekly thing that's less than a month behind... but nevertheless... behind

Life happens... things need doing...and there are just soooooooooooo many projects that I want to do! lol

This saturday... July 3rd starts the 25 weeks til christmas program.... time to get working on those christmas goodies.... I'll be done by thanksgiving again this year which means I get to spend the last few weeks before christmas baking and relaxing! wooohooo

I've been working on a few things.... I have a small astrick quilt topper in the works as well as my swaps... I got hooked on these cute little 3.5" blocks and there's just no stopping the fun! I've got picnic ones coming in now and in July/August it will be beach and underwater. I can't wait to make cute little mini's out of these blocks!

I'll be all caught up on the barn blocks in a week or so... they are near the top of my list now and all I need is some time........ anyone got an extra hour or two I could use?

I've got a few selvedge projects planned also... mostly pincushions... small ones and another one or two over the armchair type... they'll make fun gifties!

Ok.. I'm off to work now and I'll be back this weekend with pictures!

til then

happy stitching!

My Hubby Rocks!!!

Last weekend hubster and I went to the Brookfield Zoo.. we hadn't been there for a while... before we left to come home, he gave me a list of cities that we would be traveling thru and told me to find some quilt shops in those towns and we'd stop at them on the way back... what a guy!!! I had my own mini Illinois shop hop!! We stopped at 5 or 6 of them and they were great.... one in Batavia was fantastic and so was the one in Morris!! the others were great too but these two rocked!! I did get some fat quarters and some patterns....... and a really nice bar of lotion.. it's shaped like a bar of soap but it's lotion and it's really nice...... a soy blend I think

This past week I didnt' seem to get much time to work on things........ but I got my pincushion swap done... don't need to mail that til july... finished the binding on my sisters july table runner..that gets mailed this week... made 3 other pincushions.. one over the arm chair kind with pockets... and two pineapple variations... the selvedge pockets were my very first project using selvedges... not sure if I like the process.......lots of fiddly little pieces but I'll try a few more small squares and see if it gets better... the pics of all this stuff are on the flickr site as well as some bejeweled key fobs that went directly into the christmas box......

Below are the barn blocks for 22 and 23. Block 22 has a mini block however, but 23 doesn't and probably wont... this block was a bugger to do... a lot of Y seams...and I can't imagine doing it in a 3 inch size! Perhaps when I'm totally bored one day I'll give it a shot..........

We've had a lot of rain and thunderstorms this week also....... waaaay too much rain for sure... but I hesitate to complain since droughts aren't fun either! lol

I'm hoping to finish up a lot of stuff over the next couple weeks and get ready for the start of my 25 weeks til christmas program... I have lots of fun ideas for the kids, plus I need to check my goals and see where I'm at... can you believe 2010 is almost half way gone?

Pics of the barn blocks below and the rest on flickr...

Lish

It's not a mistake... its' a feature!

Well it may have started off as a mistake but now it's a feature. I printed off the Block 20 Hens and Chicks from Wisconsin Barn Blocks and set off to complete it.... I was thinking to myself that this one was somehow different but it's tested so it must be ok......... I finished the block and it measured 3 1/2 inches..... now what the heck........ I went back to my download and the PDF was fine....ut oh... then I remembered that I had been scaling some blocks for a swap and didn't set the printer back... I reprinted and remade the block.... now I have this cute little block..... I took it along to the normal monday show and tell and someone suggested that I should redo all of the blocks in the small size and make a small hanging to go with the larger one........ hmmmmmm nice idea........ another suggestion was to use the small blocks as a border around the wall hanging when it's completed.... oh yes!!!! It will be a wonderful feature for my wall hanging So block 20 and 21 have small blocks and I've gone back and printed off a few of the blocks in the smaller size... as I move forward I'll do the new blocks in both sizes and each week do one or two of the previous blocks...well at least most of the previous blocks... there were two that I really hated doing so I don't know if those will be repeated or not... we'll see

The last two weeks have been busy... and sort of productive... I now have 10 dishcloths towards my goal of 24 for the year.... two more this month will put me on track again.... a few more rows were added to the scarf and I believe that is now at the half way point....... I kitted up a few projects so they are ready to go when I have the time and the second bag of scraps is ready to be used...... the original goal was to use up 1/2 the scraps... I've done that ( whoohooo) so now I'll continue on and try to get rid of the second huge bag.... since i'll be working on christmas presents now and I have a few small projects to make I'm sure I can make a serious dent in it!

Since most of you know I'm some what of a ruler whore... I mean connissiour (sp).. I got the new eleanor burns flying goose ruler... it's a jumbo... makes geese that are 5x 10 and 2 1/2 x 5.... she also has a new single pattern that uses this ruler... the Fox and Geese table topper can be seen on the flickr site........ I'll be making some placemats and napkins to go with this from the left over fabrics.

Below are the barn block pics....... the rest are on the flickr site...

Lish

It's here It's here!!!

My fabric came today... already!!! I'm so excited... I wasn't expecting it til the end of the week! It's beautiful and yummy and luscious and MY colors too!!!!

The camera just doesn't do it justice....

I won!!!!!

yup.... I won!!! It was a simple challenge on Carol Doaks yahoo group site.... make a block with her newest pattern... hearts and flowers.... make it springy and upload a photo... the block is really cool and can be seen here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sewwunderful/4531691381/in/set-72157623769330232/

I was notified on saturday that my name was picked in a random drawing and I won!!!! What did I win you ask??? I won 10 yards of fabric from Carol's studio!!! Oh yeah!!! I was ready to pee myself!!! I'm so excited! I'll be jumping the mail man daily til it arrives... it's coming from New Hampshire ( I think) so it'll take til the end of the week at least to arrive....... I'm pumped!!!

Now there was a time when paperpiecing caused me fits and shivers.... I absolutely hated it... then one day I had to had to had to learn it.... I was facilitating a group and that weeks project was paperpieced....... so off I go to my friends quilt shop... I threw my stuff on the table and said.. ok... make it work!!!! Fifteen minutes later I was kicking myself cuz this was sooooooooooooo easy!!! I don't know what the issue was... but I've been a paper piecing fool ever since! lol I have several of carols books and foundation factory and I wouldn't part with them for the world!

Other than that... this week was pretty quiet..... another dishcloth complete.... an eyeglass/remote holder done.... this weeks Wisconson Barn block done.... and potholders for the hubster... he requested some new ones... and his wish is my command... lol

I also made a weekender bag... I was hoping it would work as a laptop bag but it's waaaay too big... plus it's quite floppy...and I'm not sure I like it even...... I plan to cover some 1/4" foam and secure it to the bottom and top and see it that stabilizes it.... it also calls for two separating sports zippers... what a waste that was!! The zippers don't need to separate.. in fact you make bar tacks so they don't separate.... and they are impossible to sew over so all that had to be done by hand...... next one ( if there is a next one) will be done with regular zippers...... much cheaper than the 3.00 a piece I spent on these.....

tonite will be a bit of knitting.......and maybe finish the binding on my sisters next table runner...... I'll be watching Chef vs City so we'll see how much I get done lol

ok... pictures posted below......and on flickr...... I'll take pics when the fabric arrives.......(did I mention how excited I am about this) kinda undoes the stashbusting I've been doing so far this year... but it's OK!!!!! lol

Til next week

Lish

Is it really May?

If it's may.... why is it 36 degrees?? I just don't understand the weather these days.....it looks bright and sunny and gorgeous and yet it's 36 degrees... hmmmmmmm
Two weeks ago the high was 80.... today the high was 56 and again overnite it will be in the 30's..... I'm tired of it now and I want it to stop! lol

Ok...another rant....if you don't want to listen...then scroll down...... I've decided to drop one of my monthly BOM's.... nothing irritates me more than someone not doing what they say they will...over and over again...... this BOM still isn't up for may... tomorrow is the 10th!! No notice on the website... no nothing... this is consistantly late and seems to get later and later all the time... so I'm going to take the 4 blocks that I've done and make a table mat for my kitchen table....I'll use the rest of the fabric for matching napkins and maybe even some placemats! I'm very greatful to those who do keep on time with their monthly and weekly blocks and I appreciate it very much... ok rant over

So...... did you like the pictures of my beautiful woodie? She's a big bird and she's just so pretty... the male is even bigger and brighter.....maybe some day he'll sit still for a photo session too!

This week was block week... Barn Block 18 is complete... Golden Thimble Barn #4 is complete.. all of my swap blocks for may are complete and going out in the mail tomorrow and my June block is also complete and going out..... I made some progress on the scarf this week...and kitted up a few things.... I have my list ready for this week too!

Hubby tilled the garden today so if it warms up this week I'll get some seedlings in for my veggies...... the herbs will go in the front boxes again this year but probably not til memorial day... should be warm enough for them by then.....

My plans for this week include putting together one of the scrapdiddly quilt tops... I have enough blocks for two throw size quilts so far........I also hope to work on my weekender bag which might just become my new laptop case and some handwork is also on the agenda. I finished up readying Shutter Island this past week... wow! nice!! and started on a local book called Murder and Mayhem in Lafayette. It's actually a history type book beginning in the 1800's with stories of who killed who and who was hung on the courthouse steps and where it happened... since I'm not originally from here it's really fun to read and get an idea of the history of the area....even if it is a little gross at times......

I'm posting pics of the Wisconsin Barn Block and the Golden Thimble Barn below... if you wanna see the cute fish waterbottle holder I did this week you'll need to go to the flickr site...

Have a great week all

Lish

FINALLY!!!!!! I GOT HER!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!

ok sorry..... but I finally got pictures of my female pileated woodpecker.... it's as though she decided to sit and look pretty just so I could take her picture! finally!!

I had to take it thru the dining room window....... I was afraid to move to close and make the slightest sound... she' quite skittish...... but she's beautiful....

I'd love to have pics of her companion....but I have her now and I'm content (sigh)

she's below...........

Lish